Code-of-practice

Purpose and Scope

The Customer Services Department of Lycamobile UK Limited (“Lycamobile”) provides a commitment at all levels of the department to the efficient, fair and courteous resolution of a Customer complaint. This includes having a Code of Practice that will guide both the Customer and Lycamobile in the handling of a Customer complaint.

This Code of Practice is intended to provide Customers with transparency on how Lycamobile will deal with a complaint, and to make Customers aware of the steps that will be taken during the complaint handling process. The Code of Practice also defines the minimum standards that Lycamobile will apply in the handling of a Customer complaint.

In this Code of Practice, the “Customer” is sometimes referred to as “you” or “your”.

Changes to the Code

Changes to Lycamobile’s Code of Practice will be made in accordance with any regulatory requirements issued by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). This Code of Practice, and any changes, will be published on Lycamobile’s website. You are also entitled, upon your reasonable request and at no cost, to a printed copy of this Code of Practice.

Making a Complaint

There are several ways for you to make a complaint if you are not satisfied with the service provided by Lycamobile. It is the intention of Lycamobile to resolve a Customer complaint, where possible, during your first point of contact with Lycamobile. Where a complaint cannot be resolved in this way, you will be advised of a timescale for the investigation and resolution of your complaint by Lycamobile, and afforded the opportunity to escalate the complaint within Lycamobile if you still are not satisfied with the resolution.

The different ways you can make a complaint about the service provided by Lycamobile are described below.

Way 1

Telephone: A Customer can make a complaint by telephone via our Customer Care Lines by dialling 322 from any Lycamobile pre-paid SIM Account. Phone call is charged £ 0.09 per call. If a Customer chooses, the Customer may instead contact the Customer Care Lines from another telephone by dialling 020 7132 0322. Local call charges will apply to these calls.

Way 2

Letter: A Customer can make a complaint by posting a letter to the address for complaints at:
Complaints Department
Lycamobile UK Limited
3rd Floor, Walbrook Building
195 Marsh Wall
E14 9SG London

Way 3

The Customer Services Department will promptly acknowledge all Customer complaints received, and not later than three (3) business days after receipt of the Customer complaint if sent by letter or e-mail.

Complaint Stages

The following are the stages in the Customer complaint handling process followed by Lycamobile:

Receipt of the Customer complaint

Acknowledgement of the Customer complaint

Investigation of the Customer complaint

Notification of resolution of the Customer complaint

Internal escalation of the Customer complaint (where necessary)

Complaint Types

The primary types of Complaints are described below.

Billing (including Top-Ups)

Network Quality

Roaming

Handset

Other

Prior to making a complaint, and to help the Customer Services Department to promptly resolve your complaint, you should consider which type of complaint you wish to make, and have at hand detailed information to provide to the Customer Services Department.

Timescales to Respond

Lycamobile will endeavour to resolve a Customer complaint in accordance with the following target timescales:

Complaint Type

Target Timescales to Respond

Billing (including Top-Ups)

Within 5 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

Network Quality

Within 6 working hours of notification

Roaming

Within 5 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

Handset*

10 working days

Other

Within 10 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

*Although Lycamobile does not provide handsets to Customers, a problem with your handset may result in network quality or coverage issues. Therefore, Lycamobile may ask you for details regarding the brand and model of your handset.

Progress Updates

The Customer Services Department will provide you will progress updates at regular intervals to keep you informed of the progress of the investigation into your complaint. In cases where the Customer Services Department is unable to resolve a Customer complaint within the target timescales, then the Customer Services Department will advise you of the revised timescales.

Escalating Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been dealt with, you have the right to request an internal escalation of your complaint to the next level within the Customer Services Department.

Way 1

Escalation Level 1: The Customer’s first point of contact with the Customer Services Department will be the First Line Customer Services Representative who will handle your query and provide a resolution. If you are not happy with the resolution, you may request that your complaint be escalated to the Customer Services Team Leader who in turn will attempt to resolve your complaint after coordination with the appropriate technical support teams. If you are satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Customer Services Team Leader, the Customer complaint will be closed.

Way 2

Escalation Level 2: If you are not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Customer Services Team Leader, you may request that your complaint be escalated by the Customer Services Team Leader to the Business Support Team, who will deal with your complaint. If necessary, the Incident/Resolution Desk will contact you for further details of your complaint. If you are satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Incident/Resolution Desk, the Customer complaint will be closed.

Way 3

Escalation Level 3: If you are not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Business Support Team, you may request that your complaint be escalated by the Customer Services Team Leader to the Customer Services Manager via email or letter.

Way 4

Alternative Dispute Resolution: Lycamobile strives to satisfy every Customer and to resolve in an efficient, fair and courteous manner each Customer complaint. If however you are not satisfied by the final resolution proposed by Lycamobile, then you have the right to refer your complaint Alternative Dispute Resolution. The scheme that Lycamobile has enrolled in is operated by:
Ombudsman Services – Communications
PO BOX 790
Warrington
WA4 6WU
Tel: 0330 440 1614
Text Phone: 0330 440 1600
Website: http://www.ombudsman-services.org/

The scheme operated by the Ombudsman Services – Communications is completely independent from Lycamobile, but may be utilised by a Customer at no cost. However, you may only access this scheme eight (8) weeks after your complaint was first made to Lycamobile.

Goodwill Guarantee Scheme

Lycamobile will endeavour to respond and resolve all Customer complaints within the Timescales to Respond. In some cases this may not be possible. In this event, on a case to case basis, the Customer Services Team Leader has the discretion to apply a credit to a Customer’s Account as a goodwill gesture. Any other modes of compensation will be at the Customer Services Manager discretion.

Disconnections and Blocking

Lycamobile will not disconnect or block your Account when a bona fide Customer complaint remains unresolved. There are however circumstances where Lycamobile may disconnect or block your Account. These are described below.

Way 1

Non-Use of the Services: If you do not use your SIM Card to make a voice call, or send a message or data, or if you do not purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date you registered or activated your Account or your last use of the Services (whichever is later), Lycamobile will contact you by SMS or e-mail advising you that your SIM Card will be deactivated. Lycamobile will then provide you with an additional thirty (30) days to make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services.
If you do not make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services within the additional thirty (30) day period, your SIM Card will be deactivated. If the SIM Card is deactivated, your specific telephone number will be reallocated to another Customer, you will not be able to access or use the Services, and you will not be entitled to a refund of any credit balance in your Account.

Way 2

Misuse of the Services: If you misuse the Services, Lycamobile reserves the right to disconnect your service. When you subscribe to Lycamobile’s pre-paid Services, you agree not to use the SIM Card or the Services and not to permit another person to use your SIM Card or the Services:

fraudulently or in connection with a criminal offence,

for the purpose of making an unsolicited communication or storing and/ or communicating any material which is offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing, a nuisance or a hoax, or which is a breach of privacy, an infringement of copyright, or is otherwise unlawful,

to knowingly and deliberately cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another person,

to make any offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing call to any Customer Services Department representative,

to transmit a virus or other malicious software, use the Services in a manner that impairs the operation or security of the Network or may cause death, personal injury or damage to property,

with equipment that is not approved for use with the Network, including, but not limited to, SIM-boxes and SIM-gateways, and

to support calls to call forwarding services, onward calling services or calls to telephone numbers which pay a revenue share or resell to others or commercially exploit our Services.

Complaint Tracking

Lycamobile will ensure that all Customer complaints can be easily tracked to ensure traceability of all actions taken regarding a specific Customer complaint. The Customer Services Department will assign to your complaint a Unique Reference Number (URN). When making a complaint, Lycamobile will advise you of the URN. Customers are advised to refer to their URN in all communications with the Customer Services Department.